How to build a successful sales team in 2025

Building a strong sales team is essential for business success. No matter how great your product or service is, you need skilled professionals to connect with customers, close deals, and drive revenue. By assembling the right people and supporting them with the right processes, you’ll set your company on a path toward sustainable growth. A well-structured sales organization can significantly boost brand visibility, customer satisfaction, and your bottom line.

In this blog post, we’ll cover everything you need to know about how to build a sales team from the ground up: the key roles you need, which team structure works best for you, and how to hire, motivate, and manage for long-term success.

Who should be on your sales team?

When you’re thinking about how to build a sales organization, it helps to start by identifying the primary roles. Each role is essential for different parts of the sales cycle, from prospecting to closing deals:

• Sales representatives: Your front-line professionals are responsible for meeting new prospects, pitching your product or service, and negotiating deals. They often handle the entire sales process, from initial contact to contract signing.
• Account managers: Once a client is onboard, account managers step in to maintain the relationship, upsell new products, and ensure ongoing satisfaction. Their main focus is retention and long-term client growth.
• Business development reps (BDRs) specialize in finding new leads. They research potential customers, initiate contact, and pass qualified leads to sales reps, ensuring a constant flow of prospects into the pipeline.
• Sales engineers: Sales engineers offer technical expertise during complex sales processes. They collaborate with sales reps to address any technical questions or concerns a prospect might have. This role is significant if your product or service is highly specialized.

What sales team structure works best for your business?

Choosing the right structure is crucial when building a sales team. There are four main models to consider, each with its pros and cons:

1. Island model: Each sales rep operates independently in this setup and manages everything from lead generation to closing. It’s straightforward and effective for smaller businesses, but it may lack collaboration and lead to inconsistent processes.
2. Assembly-line model: In this model, you assign specialized roles for lead generation, closing, and account management. This model can streamline processes and leverage team members’ unique strengths, but it may require more coordination and communication.
3. Pod model: This approach forms small teams (or “pods”) of people with different specialties, such as a BDR, a closer, and a customer success rep, who work together on a shared set of accounts. Pods encourage collaboration and provide a strong support system for each member.
4. Hybrid model: Some businesses prefer a combination of these structures. You might use an assembly line process for larger enterprise deals, while smaller leads follow an island model. Flexibility is key if you offer multiple product lines or serve various types of customers.

5 steps to building a sales team from the ground up

You may wonder how to build a sales team from scratch if you’re a startup founder. You should revamp your sales efforts if you’re at an established business. These steps will set the foundation:

1. Define sales goals and objectives
   Before you start hiring, clarify what success looks like. Are you aiming for a specific revenue target? A certain number of new clients per quarter? Pinpoint the key performance indicators (KPIs) that gauge your progress, such as conversion rates, average deal size, or customer lifetime value. Align these goals with your overall business strategy to ensure everyone works toward the same objectives.
2. Choose the right sales team structure
   Once you’ve identified your goals, consider which team model (island, assembly-line, pod, or hybrid) aligns with your industry, product, and company size. For instance, a tech startup with a complex product might benefit from an assembly-line or pod structure, ensuring specialized roles for lead generation and technical support.
3. Develop a hiring strategy
   A sales team can only be as good as the people you bring onboard. Outline the qualities you’re looking for: Are you focused on experience, cultural fit, or raw potential? Many businesses find success by recruiting on LinkedIn, specialized job boards, or through employee referrals. Setting up a formal hiring process — including phone screenings, panel interviews, and role-plays — can help you spot the best candidates.
4. Create a strong onboarding process
   Once you’ve assembled your new hires, ensure they have the training and resources they need to succeed. Develop a structured onboarding plan that covers product knowledge, sales techniques, CRM usage, and company culture. Pair newcomers with experienced mentors and encourage shadowing opportunities to accelerate learning.
5. Establish sales processes and workflows
   Finally, clear processes for every sales cycle stage must be defined. This includes how leads are qualified, deals are tracked in the CRM platform, and follow-ups are scheduled. Consistency is crucial. Automated tools, like email sequencers and lead scoring systems, help your team stay organized and ensure no opportunity slips through the cracks.

What makes an exceptional sales professional?

If you’re looking to build a successful sales team, knowing what separates an average salesperson from an all-star is vital. Typically, the best sales reps share these traits:

• Excellent communication skills: They listen actively, ask thoughtful questions, and articulate value in a way that resonates with prospects.
• Resilience and adaptability: Sales can be challenging, and rejection is common. Top performers bounce back quickly and adjust their strategies when necessary.
• Empathy: Understanding customers’ pain points helps them position solutions more effectively.
• Curiosity: They stay updated on industry trends and are always eager to learn new techniques or product features.

Spotting these qualities during the hiring process can be tricky. Consider using behavioral interviews, where you ask candidates to describe real situations that demonstrate resilience or problem-solving. Role-play scenarios are also a great way to see how someone thinks on their feet. Additionally, strive for diversity within your sales team.

Motivating and retaining your sales team

What is the best motivator for a sales team? While money is a powerful incentive, it’s not the only factor. Compensation packages with competitive salaries and commission structures are essential, but nonmonetary motivators can be equally important.

• Career growth: Offer clear pathways for advancement within the company.
• Recognition: Publicly celebrate wins, whether closing a big deal or reaching a personal best.
• Company culture: Foster an environment where collaboration is valued over cutthroat competition.

Regular training is also a key part of motivation. Investing in sales workshops, online courses, and personalized coaching shows you’re committed to each rep’s professional development. A continuous learning culture keeps your team engaged and adaptable in a rapidly changing market.

Of course, building a strong team culture involves more than just training. Encourage open communication, set up Slack or Microsoft Teams channels for quick collaboration, and plan social events (even virtual ones) to help your sales reps bond. When people feel valued and enjoy their workplace, they’re far more likely to stick around.

Managing and scaling a sales team

Learning how to build a sales organization is just the first step. As your business grows, you need to manage and scale effectively to maintain high performance.

How to drive sales as a manager

Data-driven decision-making is vital. Track metrics like win rates, average deal size, and lead response times to pinpoint areas for improvement. Hold regular one-on-one coaching sessions and team meetings to review performance and provide personalized feedback.

How to divide a sales team as it scales

At some point, you may have too many leads or product lines for a single, unified team to handle efficiently. You could segment your sales team based on geography, industry, or product specialty. For example, you might create a dedicated team for enterprise clients and another for small to mid-sized businesses, ensuring that each segment receives specialized attention.

When to introduce leadership roles

Once your team reaches a certain size, you’ll need more structure. Consider adding sales managers, directors, and even a VP of sales to oversee larger teams and ensure consistency across different segments. These leaders can also take on tasks like forecasting, advanced training, and strategy, allowing sales reps to focus on closing deals.

5 key sales strategies and performance optimization techniques

What does a sales strategy look like? Here are five proven tactics to guide your team:

1. Set clear sales targets and quotas
   Align your goals with projected revenue and team capacity. Communicate these targets clearly and track progress daily or weekly so reps know exactly where they stand.
2. Implement a lead qualification framework
   Models like BANT (Budget, Authority, Need, Timeline), MEDDIC (Metrics, Economic buyer, Decision criteria, Decision process, Identify pain, Champion), or CHAMP (Challenges, Authority, Money, Prioritization) help your team focus on prospects with the highest potential for conversion.
3. Leverage CRM and marketing automation tools
   A CRM system serves as the nerve center of your sales operation. It captures every interaction, sets reminders for follow-ups, and generates reports. Marketing automation features further reduce administrative burdens, giving reps more time to close deals.
4. Build a strong follow-up process
   Research indicates that 80 percent of sales require at least five follow-up calls, yet many reps give up after one or two. You can significantly boost your conversion rates by scheduling regular check-ins and reengaging cold leads.
5. Continuously analyze and optimize performance
   Review metrics like conversion rates, average deal size, and pipeline velocity regularly. Run A/B tests on email templates or call scripts to see which approaches generate better responses. Solicit feedback from reps and customers alike to make iterative improvements.

5 common challenges when building a sales team and how to overcome them

Building a sales team isn’t always smooth sailing. Below are five obstacles you might face, along with suggestions for tackling them head-on:

1. Hiring mistakes
   Sometimes, companies focus too much on personality or short-term sales figures instead of long-term fit. To avoid this pitfall, use standardized assessments and structured interviews that evaluate soft and hard skills. Don’t forget to check references thoroughly.
2. High turnover rates
   Sales can be high-pressure, and reps may leave if they feel unsupported. To increase job satisfaction, focus on strong onboarding, ongoing training, and a positive team culture. Offering competitive compensation and career advancement opportunities also helps reduce churn.
3. Poor sales performance
   If your team isn’t hitting its numbers, identify skill gaps and offer targeted coaching or additional training. Sometimes, the issue might be a mismatch between the product and the market, so gather customer feedback and pivot your strategy if necessary.
4. Lack of a structured sales process
   Reps might approach selling differently without a documented process, causing confusion and inefficiency. To address this, implement a unified CRM platform, define lead stages, and create standardized templates for pitches and proposals.
5. Misalignment between sales and marketing
   When sales and marketing teams work in silos, potential leads can slip through the cracks. Ensure both departments share goals, metrics, and data. Regular cross-department meetings and collaborative tools make it easier to stay aligned.

Behind every successful sales team, there is Jotform

In today’s digital-first world, efficiency and accuracy are paramount. Jotform’s great online forms and integrations can support your sales efforts in numerous ways, from collecting leads to automating follow-ups. For instance, you can use Jotform’s Sales AI Agent to track potential clients, categorize leads, and send personalized follow-up emails without manual intervention.

Need a quick, professional way to gather prospect information? Jotform’s ready-to-use sales order forms and lead generation forms help you capture essential data in seconds. Integrate these forms with your CRM to maintain a centralized database of prospects. This ensures your sales reps spend less time on administrative tasks and more time closing deals.

Conclusion

Building a sales team is a marathon, not a sprint. Each step, from choosing the right structure to hiring the right people to motivate them and scaling effectively, lays the groundwork for continued success. With the right blend of strategy, technology, and human insight, your sales team can become the driving force behind your organization’s revenue growth.

Ready to level up your sales process? Explore how Jotform’s over 10,000 form templates and AI Agent features can help you efficiently collect, manage, and nurture leads. Sign up today and watch your sales team thrive.

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